Within You
by HinataKaede
Summary: A year after the events of Frozen, Elsa finds out that her parents had made an arrangement for her to marry the son of the Chief of Berk. Still haunted by her fear of hurting those she loves most and wary of marrying a complete stranger, Elsa dreads meeting Hiccup, her betrothed. Will the two fall in love in time, or is this match fated to be an icy doom?
1. Chapter 1

**==Alright. Before Anything else happens... this is a Hiccelsa pairing, asked for by Keiri Kurosukara. Keiri Kurosukara: I hope you like the story dear! On another note: the poll that I started a while ago, is still active as of the moment of this post. Looking at the votes, Jelsa is the highest and so I** **will also be starting a Jelsa story soon- hopefully within the next week, since I have a break from school. I know... I'm adding a lot to my plate, having four stories to update. But I got the ideas for this one and my Jelsa, so I will be writing them down and sharing them with you soon. Until then, enjoy the first chapter! Also, the names for the King and Queen are ones found on a Disney website, just so we are clear. Happy Reading!==**

Chapter 1

Elsa screamed as her eyes opened in terror. Cold sweat coated her body from head to toe, and her silk blankets had been thrown from her bed. Elsa looked around her room, trying to find something to calm herself down as the snowflakes began to flutter calmly to the ground. The sun was barely up over the horizon.

The dream… she'd had it again.

From the deep caverns of the castle, Elsa could hear the movement of, what she hoped was the servants, as her cries echoed through the halls. Elsa took a deep breath and closed her eyes, imagining her castle on the North Mountain. The snowflakes dissipated, just as Anna came crashing into the room.

"Elsa, are you alright?!" Anna screamed, unable to stop herself as she continued to barrel through the room until she flipped onto the bed with a quiet yelp. Elsa stifled a giggle and placed her hand on Anna's back.

"I'm alright. Are you okay?"

Anna sighed as she pushed herself up and faced her sister. Her hair was askew and full of knots and her nightgown had been twisted up around her knees. Her bright blue eyes were full of concern as she looked at Elsa.

"I'm okay. I heard you scream. So I came right over to see what was wrong. Was it a spider? I hope it wasn't a spider…"

Elsa giggled and shook her head. "No, Anna. It wasn't a spider. A spider would have been welcome."

Anna sighed. "It was the dream again, wasn't it?" she whispered, taking hold of Elsa's shaking hands. Elsa nodded.

A month ago, Elsa had been told of an arranged marriage her parents had made for her, before she was even a day old. It was an arrangement with a northern tribe of island people, whom Elsa had never even heard of, nor ever met. Preparations had been made to meet her future husband a little over a month after she had found out about the engagement. And now, the day to meet her future king was less than a week away.

For the last month, Elsa had been plagued by ill sleep and nightmares. Elsa had confided in her younger sister because Anna meant the world to her. Anna needed to be protected. And it was Anna who was the main star of her nightmares. Anna's eyes bore into Elsa's. She sighed and reached out for a hug. Elsa wrapped her slender arms around her younger sister's fragile body and let a single tear trickle down her face.

"Was there anything different this time?" Anna asked softly as she pulled out of the embrace. For the first time since she had come back from the North Mountain, Elsa wished that Anna would leave her be. She didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"No."

There had, in fact been a difference in this dream. A difference she didn't want to talk about. Not now, not ever. It was something she didn't want to have happen again.

"Elsa, I know you have been worried about meeting this boy… what was his name again? Hilbert? Higgip?" Anna frowned as she tried to remember.

"Hiccup."

Anna giggled. "Who names their child 'Hiccup'? I mean, it's such a silly name."

"I haven't the slightest idea." Elsa sighed, smiling lightly. Even though Elsa didn't want to talk to Anna about this, her younger sister knew how to make things better. It wasn't nice to make fun of her future husband's name, but it was the truth. The boy's name was utterly hilarious to say.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third.

Elsa had spent days wondering what a boy with that sort of name would look like. Anna had supplied that he probably was a big, muscular lunkhead with little to no brains at all, missing half of his teeth and had scars all over his face. At first Elsa had laughed it off, but the image had stuck. It led to a morph of Elsa's nightmares, changing her husband-to-be from a pipsqueak of a boy to a giant looming monster with tiny black eyes that seemed to stare into her very soul.

"Do you want me to watch over you while you get some more rest?" Anna asked sleepily, attempting to stifle a yawn.

"No, I'll be alright. You go back to sleep though."

Anna's eyes closed and opened less than the last time she blinked. Elsa could tell that the girl was not going to make it down the hall to her own room before she passed out completely. It had been pure adrenaline that had awoken Anna in the first place and got her this far.

Elsa sighed and gestured to an area of the bed beside her.

"Come here."

Anna smiled and fell face first into the pillow Elsa supplied. Within seconds the girl was snoring quietly. Elsa chuckled, reaching onto the floor and pulling up one of her blankets. She covered her sister gently and quietly slid off the bed. She would have to tell Kai that Anna had fallen asleep in her room again.

Elsa flicked her wrist and her crystal blue nightgown was replaced by her favourite icy blue dress. She ran her fingers through her loose hair and began to look for her brush. After brushing her hair into a slightly sloppy braid, Elsa walked over to the door of her room and crept out.

Kai was waiting outside her door.

"Milady-"

"Shhh… she's asleep."

Kai nodded and dropped his voice to a whisper.

"There have been reports of storms coming through from the North. There have been some rumours that the engagement party will be arriving early, though I have not been able to confirm whether this is true or not."

Elsa nodded.

"Be ready for them to arrive early. We'll watch the skies for any storms."

"Yes ma'am." Kai nodded and followed Elsa down the hall. "Will you be having breakfast today, milady?"

"Not today. I have some important business to attend to." Elsa sighed. She wanted to be alone. She needed to think. She wanted to know why her dream had changed so drastically. And now she needed to be ready for her northern guests to arrive early.

"As you wish." With a bow, Kai left Elsa alone as he headed toward the kitchen. Elsa sighed and headed for the library.

As Elsa pushed open the doors to the library, she took a deep breath. The scent of old paper greeted her nose and she couldn't help but smile. It had been thirteen years since she had been inside the library. When Elsa had been confined to hiding her powers, she had given Anna full reign of every room in the building except her own, but now that Elsa didn't have to hide herself anymore, she was free to go to her favourite room in the entire castle.

Elsa shuffled through the stacks of paper that had been laid on every flat surface imaginable. Since finding out about her arranged engagement, she had been doing as much research on the northern tribes as she could.

But she wasn't finding out much about the island of Berk.

There were legends about Berk. Rumours that dragons plagued the island and those surrounding it. But other than those legends, there was no real evidence that these people even existed. No public records. Berk wasn't even on any map- old or new. Elsa sighed in frustration as she sat down and picked up the official engagement notice. She began to read it aloud, hoping that a new clue would reveal itself - even though she had read the words a million times within the month.

"The writings below are a legal document, an agreement between Agnarr and Iduna, King and Queen of Arandelle, and Stoick the Vast and his wife Valka, Cheifs of the Hairy Hooligan tribe of Berk, binding Princess Elsa of Arandelle to Prince Hiccup of the Hairy Hooligan tribe of Berk, in the promise of marriage. The marriage will take place after the Princess' twenty-second birthday, as long as she, and her betrothed, are still living."

It was signed and sealed by both parties with the Arandelle royal insignia, and a serpent-like creature with great pointy teeth.

Elsa sighed. Snowflakes began to flutter about, floating lazily in the air. Elsa could feel the panic rising in her body. She was losing control, again.

 _Just like in your dream._ A voice whispered inside her head. _This is everything you ever feared. Hurting those closest to you._

Elsa let out a quiet whimper as she dropped her head into her arms. Her face was pressed to the wooden table. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes as they fled her tears ducts. Her nightmare was coming true, little by little.

She was going to meet Hiccup, and marry him. Even if she didn't like him. Because this single piece of paper decided her fate- even before her parents found out she was wielding magic within her blood. She was losing control of her powers again, because she was afraid.

Afraid of what the future was bringing to her. Afraid that her sister would end up hurt again, or worse: dead. Afraid that the Hairy Hooligan tribe were violent monsters. Afraid that her parents had made a mistake.

The voice in Elsa's head got louder. She was screaming inside her head.

 _Run. You need to run._

The snow picked up and began to madly swirl around Elsa, creating a miniature blizzard within the library. Articles of paper began to blow around the room, becoming ensnared in the corners of the bookshelves and getting stuck against the walls.

Finally, Elsa had had enough. She launched from the chair she had been sitting in and wheeled around toward the library doors. She ran through the snow and pulled open the left door, tumbling right into Anna.

Instantly the snow stopped swirling. The voice in Elsa's head was silent.

"Elsa…" Anna whispered, sitting up and shaking her head slightly at the dizzy tumble she had taken with her sister. She peeked into the library and saw the small snowdrifts that had piled around the bases of the bookshelves and window.

"Anna what are you doing, you should be asleep-"

"Elsa, are you okay? Your eyes are red. Have you been crying? What's going on?" Anna ignored her sister's question and took both of Elsa's hands in her own, squeezing them tightly. Her eyes were wide with worry.

Elsa sighed. Mentally she checked herself, and her power. She was in control again.

"Everything's okay. I was… just a little panicked. That's all."

"It's noon. So it's time to eat. But I also came to tell you that something was seen in the sky. Also… your dress is torn." Anna stood up and began to help Elsa to her feet.

"A storm?" Elsa asked as she stood up and looked at the front of her gown. The corset was torn, and the slit on the skirt was twice as long as before- instead of to her knee, it ran all the way up to her upper thigh, barely covering her underclothes.

Anna shook her head.

"No…"

"Then what?"

"A group of something is flying towards Arandelle."


	2. Chapter 2

**== Alright, there seemed to be a bit of confusion... so let me try to clear things up. The story takes place a year after Frozen and four years after HTTYD2. Elsa is 22, Hiccup is 24. I put the Frozen timeline setting in the story description, and I placed Elsa's age in the first chapter. I will respond to the comments and reviews at the end of the chapter, so for now, Happy Reading!==**

Chapter 2

Hiccup growled in frustration as his mother led him further away from Berk. Instead of letting him fly on his own, she had insisted she ride with him on Toothless, and Cloudjumper would fly beside them. He guessed it was a tactic to ensure he didn't run away.

"Hiccup… this will be good for us. All of us. Perhaps we can find Tuffnut an eligable woman here. There will definitely be more to choose from." Valka said, chuckling to herself. Hiccup sighed. It was a poor attempt to lighten the mood.

He had already been having enough troubles, what with his father dead and him taking over Berk as chief and all that. He had been planning his marriage to Astrid when Valka had come across an old scrap of paper hidden in Stoick's belongings. Armed with that old piece of paper, she had cancelled everything.

"Hiccup!" Valka cried as she came tearing out of the chief's house, a tattered piece of paper in her hand. "Did you know about this?"

Hiccup had just returned from another island scout and had barely even been on the ground for five minutes. It was days after the four year anniversary of Stoick's death, so his head hadn't really been into the search. He returned early, hoping to ask Gothi for a remedy. Instead, he was met with his mother's unease.

"Know about what? Mom what is that?"

"It's the agreement your father and I made with the royal family of Arendelle when you were just a wee thing. You were not even three years old." Valka breathlessly handed the worn paper to her son, so he could read the contents. "Not even a week after this agreement was made, Cloudjumper took me."

Hiccup mouthed the words silently as his eyes scanned the page. Hiccup wordlessly handed the paper back to his mother. His green eyes shimmered in a wordless anger. His fists clenched tightly together.

"Mom, you and dad planned my life for me?"

"Well, it was a good plan at the time. They have good land, and your father had been hoping to branch out, so that the dragons couldn't decimate our supplies. But I think he forgot about it when you brought home your Night Fury friend." Valka nodded and placed her arms around Hiccup's shoulders.

"It says here that it's only in agreement if both are still alive. There could be a chance…"

Valka nodded. "It seems we need to check on that, don't we? You can't continue preparations with Astrid until this is sorted out."

Hiccup's mouth dropped open in horror.

"I'm supposed to be marrying Astrid, in a _month_. She's a Viking. And I love her. I don't want to marry some strange girl in a distant land. I should be allowed to live my life the way I want- the way I have always lived it. I don't agree with this betrothal."

Valka's eyes grew soft as she looked at her son. She could feel his anger and his confusion. It was true that Vikings didn't really believe in the betrothal system, and this arrangement _could_ have been dealt with better, but this was the course that had been chosen. Valka reached out and cupped Hiccup's chin in her hand, forcing him to look at her.

"Now, I know I wasn't there to help you grow up. Maybe this whole thing could have been avoided if I had come back. But Hiccup, I know you have a good head on your shoulders. You have to do the right thing. A Chief takes care of his own."

So a small trade ship had been dispatched to find out if Princess Elsa of Arendelle was alive. Within two weeks, the ship returned with confirmation that the Princess, now Queen, was alive and well. The ship had also arrived with many fine fabrics and plants as a "welcoming gift" to Berk, along with a royal note that stated a meeting would be held in a month's time, in Arendelle, so that marriage preparations could get under way.

And in that moment, Hiccup realized just how unprepared he was. As a man, as a leader. The month passed and Hiccup spent most of his time away from Berk, trying to avoid his mother, and trying to find a way out of the arrangement- without dying.

However, after the first week Valka was aware of her sons idea and began to pay some Riders to follow him, and stop any escapes. Every failed attempt was met with a quiet scold from Valka, always ending in "a Chief protects his own."

And as the days dragged by Hiccup noticed that Astrid had begun to avoid him. Completely. The sting of rejection hit him hard. His anger with his parents grew steadily each day. He didn't care about land, or resources. He had had the only things that mattered to him- Toothless and Astrid. Now he only had one.

And then the storms set in. A ship was sent ahead of the riding party, about three days time, with a message for the Queen of Arendelle. Because of the early timing of the storms, they would arrive in Arendelle about a week early.

Now, as he dwelled on the past events more and more while he rode with his mother behind him, Hiccup felt the quiet panic set in.

This was really happening.

He was really going through with a marriage he didn't believe in. Because it had been formally promised before he had even learned to crawl. Because he had a duty, as Chief, to take care of his people. And he knew, as much as he hated to admit it- that marrying Queen Elsa of Arendelle would ensure his people always had enough food and shelter, as well as protection.

Not that Berk needed any help in that department. Astrid had stayed behind, and so had all the other Dragon Riders. Hiccup knew that even without him they were extremely capable of defending Berk.

He was twenty-four years old. He had done many heroic things in his short life. He had not flinched at the idea of death, until he had found something great to live for: family. And now, he was shaking in his riding gear, his family all but gone.

Hiccup was lying if he said he wasn't terrified. Marrying someone he didn't love, and a total stranger at that, was one of the worst ideas he had ever heard. But here he was… plunging head first into a two-decade old agreement. Hiccup felt alone. Alone with his frustration and his anger. Alone with his fear.

"Look Hiccup." Valka said, pointing ahead at the pointed spires of a castle.

Hiccup, briefly distracted by the beauty of the building, leaned forward to stare in awe before realizing that that was the dreaded destination. Hiccup looked behind him and noticed that the horizon behind them had gone nearly black with storm clouds.

Below him, Hiccup could see the crystal blue waters of Arendelle's fjord, and amongst the many ships passing in and out of the harbour, Hiccup spotted the envoy ship that had been sent ahead. It was big enough to land the entire riding party on, and Hiccup wasted no time in mentioning this to his mother.

At least then he would have to walk a ways before meeting his bride-to-be.

Valka thought for a moment and nodded. She motioned for Cloudjumper to land first, and soon all five dragons and their riders were perched on the deck of the ship. As the party unleaded and took stock of everything they had, a big balding man came walking up to the ship's boardwalk.

"Would you be the engagement party from Berk?" he asked with authority.

Valka nodded. Yes. I am Valka, and this is my son, Hiccup. We are here to meet the Queen and begin preparations for the wedding.

"I am Kai. Staff to Queen Elsa and to her sister, Princess Anna, of Arendelle." Kai made a short bow before continuing to address the party. "If you will follow me, I will take you to meet the Queen. She is expecting you."

"What about our dragons?" Hiccup asked, wrapping his arm tightly around Toothless' neck.

Kai seemed utterly surprised by Hiccup's question. He stood for a moment in silence before clearing his throat. "Leave them on the ship. They will need their own place to rest, I presume? Once I have the Queen's permission, we can prepare spaces for your… ehem… dragons, and then bring them through the gates and into the castle grounds. I will bring them in personally, if you will allow it."

"If that's the best you can do." Hiccup grumbled, his heart sinking. He took Toothless' big head in his hands and looked into the yellow-green eyes of his friend. "Stay here bud. When Kai comes to get you, follow him. Don't cause trouble, alright?"

Toothless gave an affectionate warble and licked Hiccup's face.

"Oh! Ugh… Toothless!" Hiccup exclaimed, wiping the sticky saliva off his face and flicking it at the dragon. "That doesn't wash out!"

Valka chuckled and took Hiccup's arm, pulling the boy off the ship and dock, and onto the cobbled roadway that led to the castle. Hiccup was trying desperately to remove the remaining saliva from his face and hair before he actually met the Queen.

As they walked, Kai was telling them all the information about Arendelle. Hiccup wasn't fully paying attention to what the attendant said, because he was busy looking around at the clothing of the people of Arendelle. He glanced around and the finely cut clothes in bright fabrics, and looked down at his own clothing.

Leather, while perfect for riding a dragon, was no good for meeting royalty. His mother was no better, in rough cloth, bones and fur. They were severely underdressed, and because of this, Hiccup noticed almost everyone began to stare as they walked past. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to get inside the gates of the castle. All the judgemental stares were driving him crazy.

As the gates opened, Hiccup couldn't help but gasp. The double doors of the castle were stained in a chevron pattern of dark and light wood, and a single golden crocus was engraved into each of the stone pillars before the doors. Inside the gate, was a short walk to the front door of the castle. Before Hiccup had a chance to see, the doors were pulled open and a plump elderly lady in a green dress similar to the outfit Kai wore came waddling through. She smiled warmly at the newcomers and ushered them inside.

"Excuse me, and I shall see to your… dragons." Kai said as he bowed curtly and walked briskly away, leaving Hiccup, Valka, Gobber, Gothi, and Eret to stand helplessly in the foyer. It was silent as the Vikings surveyed their new surroundings.

Suddenly, a loud, high pitched squeal blasted through the silence, and the sound of cloth on wood could be heard coming closer to them. Suddenly, a girl with strawberry blonde hair came sliding down the banister, her high pitched giggles resonating in the almost empty room. She jumped off the banister and landed on her feet with ease, freezing the moment she saw the party.

Hiccup watched as the girl looked from one startled face to another, her bright blue eyes widening first in concern and then with realization. Hiccup was slightly taken aback by how brilliantly bright the girl's eyes were. She smiled a brilliant smile and made a small curtsie.

"Hello! I'm Princess Anna of Arendelle."

"Hello Princess." Valka stated, giving a slight nod of her head. "I am Valka, of the island of Berk. And this is-"

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Chief of Berk." Hiccup cut in hastily, giving his best bow, trying to remember how Kai had looked. He figured that this was the type of thing that one was supposed to do when meeting royalty, although he felt extremely silly and stiff. And since he was here diplomatically, so to speak, he figured that he might as well try to be the Chief he was supposed to be.

Anna blushed and curtsied again.

"My sister will be down shortly. I would love to stay and chat, but I better go. Bye!"

With a small wave and not another word, Anna ran through the hall and out of sight.

"Well that was a strange girl." Eret said as he busied himself with his shirt. Gothi nodded and smacked Gobber in the gut with her stick, as the old Viking was beginning to drool. Hiccup shook his head in embarrassment.

"Well, she was pretty, wasn't she Hiccup?" Valka asked. "And that's only the younger sister… imagine what the Queen will look like."

"I don't really want to." Hiccup said curtly. "I don't even want to be here."

That much was true. Hiccup would rather have been anywhere _but_ there. Even out with Dagur. But the moment he had seen the Princess, Hiccup began to wonder what the Queen looked like. He silently hoped that Elsa was just as pretty. He wondered if her eyes would be just as bright as Anna's had been- even brighter than Astrid's eyes. But he was resolved to not let his mother know what he was thinking.

No matter what, he would still love Astrid more than he could ever love this girl.

Hiccup was wrapped in his own thoughts, going round and round in circles. He was determined to make this arrangement work, but his heart belonged to someone else. How could a marriage like this work when his heart was elsewhere? Hiccup's frustration grew as he tried to rattle off answers to his own questions. Until a girl's voice cut through the deepest part of his brain, the calm authority nearly bringing him to his already weak knees.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

 **==Alright... review responses.** ** _Colonel Pepper:_** **I will try to keep my story as different from yours as possible. I have not read any Hiccelsa fanfics before I started writing this one, so I have no idea how close or different I am to yours. I have not gotten a chance to read yours yet, but I will do so soon and adjust my storyline accordingly so that I do not infringe upon your story. I do hope that you like what II have written so far.** ** _Goldie Roth:_** **I am glad to hear you liked the first chapter, and thank you for the compliment!** ** _Guest:_** **This chapter is in Hiccup's POV, and it does jump back in time a little, so please let me know what you think! As for Elsa's dream, there will be little clues within the chapters... at least for a little while. Maybe you will be able to piece together the dream before it is fully revealed?** ** _WONDER239:_** **I am glad you enjoyed the chapter, and honestly, I feel like I could probably be Anna some days. It makes life interesting.** ** _orca3553:_** **Thank you for the comment! I hope you like this chapter as much as the first! (And your sarcasm was duly noted... but probably a little more accurate than most would like.)** ** _ravenx1988:_** **I am glad you enjoyed the first chapter, I hope you enjoy the next chapter as well! Feel free to give me any feedback you may have-questions or plain old comments too!** ** _forteEXEMaster:_** **I hope I cleared everything up for you in the top A/N and within this chapter. I'm sorry if it wasn't as clearly written as I thought it was.** ** _FrankThePirate:_** **Thanks for the comment! And thanks for trying to help me clear things up! I hope you enjoy this chapter!==**


	3. Chapter 3

== **So I got a lot of questions for the last chapter, and I hope some of the information in this chapter answers, or explains at least some of the questions. I did not answer all of the questions in this chapter though- some will be answered or explained at a later time. Happy Reading!==**

Chapter 3

Elsa sighed, attempting to hide her boredom.

She expected this meeting to be dull and nerve-wracking. She knew this process would be a long one. But it had been over four hours and they were still no closer to figuring things out.

"Why would we live here, in Arendelle, when Berk is perfect for our dragons?" Hiccup argued with Kai, banging his fists on the shiny long table. Gothi was scribbling furiously in a tub of sand, and Gobber was translating as fast as he could. The Viking's mistakes in translation were laughable, but given her current situation it would be considered rude to laugh in the presence of her visitors. So she settled on another sigh.

She was alone in this torturous room. Aside from her servant Kai, she was alone in a room full of strangers. Anna was out roaming Arendelle, helping Kristoff with ice transport, at least that's what she hoped. Sven was of course, with them, and Olaf had been locked away in a room so as to not startle the Vikings because a living snowman was a terrifyingly odd thing to have.

Not that they should be startled by a living snowman when they brought five fully grown dragons to the docks of her home. Kai had come to her in a near panic, saying they wished to place the dragons within the gates. Elsa had been surprised the old man had made it all the way from the docks to her private chambers without collapsing in terror.

Another sigh escaped her lips, this time unintentionally loud, and Hiccup turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry _your highness_ but this is extremely important. Our dragons are everything. And I will not live somewhere where they can't feel at home." Hiccup's voice was taut with frustration.

"I understand. But arguing about it isn't getting us anywhere." Elsa said, picking at imaginary lint on her perfect dress. "I propose we take a break. I'm tired of sitting in this stuffy room, and there are other matters I need to attend to." With that she stood up and stretched. "Kai. Show them to the gardens. Please."

"Yes ma'am."

As Elsa began to walk toward the giant double doors of the dining hall, she saw out of her peripheral Hiccup stand up and begin to follow her. She decided it would be best if she pretended she didn't see him. She pulled open the door and began to step out. Suddenly she felt a hand grab her arm.

Surprised at the sudden touch she drew back involuntarily.

 _Breathe. Control it._

"May I speak to you?" Hiccup said, apparently oblivious to Elsa's sudden drawback. She could feel her power surging across her palms as she tried to calm down. She couldn't afford to lose control now.

"Sure. Walk with me."

They walked for a few minutes, winding through the hallways, to a large balcony that overlooked the gate. Below them, the five dragons lay resting on the cobbled stoneway.

"You know… for someone who wanted to talk, you sure don't have much to say." Elsa said, studying the giant lizards in her home. They were utterly amazing. She found that, instead of fear of the animals, the emotion she felt was curiosity- even joy.

"Yeah… sorry. I've got a lot of things I want to say."

"Well, go ahead."

"Well first off, I can't decide _where_ to start."

"At the beginning would probably be best. I take it you didn't know about this engagement until recently as well?"

"Yeah. Actually I was in the middle of preparing for my wedding."

"Oh."

There was an uncomfortable silence that hung in the air. Elsa felt her powers surging again as she grew uncomfortable.

 _Control. Relax. You can do this._

"So… dragons. They aren't just myth."

"Uh…" Hiccup blinked in confusion, and then chuckled heavily. "Yeah. No. they're real. And a major part of our lifestyle on Berk. They do hunting, fishing, tracking, metalwork… a whole bunch of other things. There's even an ice breather, but they are extremely rare to find. We don't have one on Berk though."

"An ice breather?"

"Yeah. You guys here seem to have a love for ice… so I'm not really surprised that that's what peaked your attention."

Elsa giggled awkwardly. "If only you knew…" she whispered.

"I'm sorry?"

"Hmm?"

"You said something?"

Elsa shook her head, her eyes wide as she attempted to feign ignorance. Hiccup nodded and looked down to the dragons. She wanted to hide her powers for as long as possible. Adding her magic to the mess that was this engagement would only end in problems. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders and pointed to one of the dragons curled in the yard.

"Mine's the black one. His name is Toothless. He's a Night Fury. The only known one."

"He's pretty special, isn't he?"

"Yep. But you seem to be pretty special too. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something different about you."

Elsa passed a sideways glance to the young man beside her. Her heart began to race and she felt the fear returning. Could he tell that she had these powers? Could he tell she was barely in control? Elsa forced her emotions away and looked across the yard, trying to look nonchalant.

"I'm a single queen in a foreign land. There's a lot here that's different. I would probably say the same to you if the roles were reversed."

"Perhaps."

It was quiet again and Elsa found herself silently begging for Hiccup to leave. She wished to be alone. But the man beside her never moved. She began to think of her ice castle. The isolation… it would be a welcome change of pace. Too much was going on right now.

"So… I assume that this engagement between our parents could be changed, maybe even nullified? I mean, you already had a wedding mostly planned… right? And this really isn't the way a betrothal is supposed to be handled." Elsa said quietly. She didn't feel like she was ready for a life-long partner yet. She had too much to worry about, with Anna and Kristoff becoming more serious in their relationship, some minor threats from the Southern Isles and her constant recurring nightmares just to name a few. She didn't want to add 'marry a man you just met' into the equation.

Hiccup sighed. "Since my mother is still alive she firmly believes that the agreement is valid. So she thinks we should follow through with the marriage. She feels that it is still best for our people; that it will be a great help to your people, and that it honours your parents as well as my father. So as far as I can see… there really isn't a way around it."

Elsa's heart sank. Even though she was a monarch, and had complete rue over her subjects, she found it ironic that she had no rule over her own life. Deep down in her gut she knew her parents would have wanted this marriage to go through, magic or no. And dishonouring the wishes of the dead was a serious trespass.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure she is a wonderful woman."

"Eh… Astrid will be fine. She might already be over it. She knows a Chief has to take care of his people. Duty comes first most often on Berk…"

"She doesn't really sound very wonderful if she just moved on like that though." Elsa blinked in surprise. No human being could go from marriage preparations to a cancelled engagement and be alright. This Astrid girl was probably really hurt. And even though she had not been directly involved, it was kind of Elsa's fault the marriage was cancelled..

"Well, I never said she did… she's been… avoiding me. She's amazing, though. One of the finest warriors Berk has. She was… is… a perfect as second in command. I left her in charge of Berk while I'm here, since I know it's something she can handle." Hiccup let out an uptight chuckle. "I'm sorry. Blabbing on like this. It's not very chief-like."

"No, no… it's fine. It's best we try to get to know each other, right? Besides… you were going to get married. I now know a little bit of how you feel about her. That's a good thing to know."

"I guess." Hiccup sighed, running his hands through his messy brown hair. "So… I have a question."

"What is your question?"

"What's with your guys' ice obsession?"

Elsa felt her heart stop. Her blood ran cold. She had hoped to avoid the reveal for a little while longer… Feeling her emotions peak again, Elsa sighed and placed her arms under her armpits, pinning them to her body.

"What's wrong?"

"I think I need to show you… come with me."

No response was given, and Hiccup followed Elsa to the library. As they approached a high-pitched voice greeted their ears. A goofy laugh and the sound of books _thudding_ to the floor. A muffled "oops" and shuffling of papers.

"This is the only place that I feel comfortable showing you this. I need you to remain calm and not… well, don't freak out."

Hiccup tilted his head in confusion, his green orbs narrowing as he tried to discern what the snow queen was saying. "Why would I freak out?"

"Well…." Elsa opened the door to reveal a small snowman pushing a small stack of books next to a slightly larger stack of books on the floor. The snowman stopped and smiled at Elsa and the stranger.

"Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" he said, running over to Hiccup and stretching his arms out for an embrace.

"Woah… um? Hi? It's animated." Hiccup stood frozen in place, looking down at the living snowman with curiosity and apprehension.

"Olaf, this is Hiccup."

Olaf's face lit up. "Oh! And you were showing him around the castle, isn't that sweet." He placed his twig arm up to his mouth and whispered loudly to Elsa "He's pretty handsome too. Oh! Is Anna back yet?"

Elsa smirked slightly, trying to ignore the snowman's comment about the Viking Chief. She shook her head and said, "No she's not. But, you can roam around again. I'll just have to let the others know. I feel bad for putting you in here."

Olaf giggled and waddled out of the library with a wave. Elsa watched Hiccup stare after him, his jaw slightly ajar in shock.

"I made him." She whispered, looking down to her hands. She was still amazed that she had been able to give him life.

"He's moving on his own." It was a hushed realization. Then Hiccup turned to Elsa, his green eyes narrowing in confusion. "Wait you _made_ him? Like, _you_ gave him life?"

"Yes. And that's not all." Elsa moved to the back to the library, to the window. She sat on the sill and pointed to the open chair in front of her, where she had been sitting at the beginning of the day. The snow had been melted or swept from the room, leaving it in pristine condition.

Elsa took a deep breath. She wished Anna was here with her.

" _This_ is why ice is regarded the way it is."

With an elegant twist of her ankle, Elsa stomped her foot on the stone floor. Ice curled around her foot and spiral outward, all the way to the walls. Hiccup's eyes widened. His jaw dropped. Elsa began to circle her hands, and a snowball began forming in the space between them.

"They regard snow and ice so well because it is an important trade for us. But they also regard it with reverence because _I_ am like this." Elsa sighed and closed her eyes. She felt oddly calm, and Hiccup hadn't run screaming so she assumed it was a step in the right direction.

"You have… magic."

Elsa nodded.

"I hoped to explain that at a later date… or even never. I don't really want this engagement. I've spent thirteen years hiding from everyone because of this magic. Hiding from Anna, _hurting_ her, to protect her from the monster I feared I was." Elsa took a shaky breath to steady her nerves. Hiccup watched her silently. "But, she freed me from my prison. And now I have a lifetime with her I need to catch up on. Anna means everything to me. She has faith I can do this."

After a moment Hiccup let out a breath.

"That's why I felt you were different. You aren't used to letting people in." Hiccup smiled lightly and leaned back in the chair. "Huh. You know, I thought it was a little odd that people were only giving us weird looks. Usually people run screaming when they see our dragons. But after having a queen who can control ice… I guess dragons wouldn't seem so…" Hiccup dropped off as he tried to find the right word. Elsa smirked and offered her own idea.

"Frightening?"

"Well, I suppose. You could probably take down an army of dragons. You have to be a pretty fierce queen with all that magic in you."

"I suppose you could consider me fierce… I did put Arendelle in a freeze not too long ago."

Hiccup cocked his head slightly and gave Elsa a long, hard stare.

"It was an accident!"

She could see his mind thinking, processing what he had just been told. But she wasn't sure she liked how calm he was. Even Anna had been a little upset at first. Hiccup shrugged.

"For whatever reason I'm not surprised. I guess it's the same for me as it is your people. I've dealt with dragons… ice magic is no big deal to me." Hiccup stood up and held out his arm for her hand. "Well, I think we should be heading back to this engagement meeting. There are some things we need to sort through."

Elsa smiled weakly. Her mind was reeling. She hadn't expected their first private conversation to go so well. She had a lot to tell Anna when the girl actually decided to come back home. Elsa took a deep breath and shakily placed her arm through Hiccup's. She saw the young man smile. He had a brilliant smile, with straight teeth. His skin was darker and his hair, though definitely unkempt, was full and deeply coloured. His green eyes shone with an intensity she had never seen before. Suddenly Elsa realized just how close she was to him. She had never been this close to anyone but Anna.

"I haven't seen Berk. I don't even know where it is. Perhaps I can take an envoy and view your lands- observe some of your customs. Then we can decide which place would be best for permanent housing for the dragons. And as for living preparations… unfortunately I don't think me leaving Arendelle is an option."

"Yeah… Big country… even bigger ocean. It would be bad news if someone wanted to conquer Arendelle and you weren't he to protect her. But the same can be said for me and Berk."

The pair approached the double doors of the dining hall, where the rest of the envoy had already returned.

"I guess we'll have to talk about it more over the next few days. First let's bring up my envoy idea, and see how everyone takes my… magic."

Hiccup nodded.

And the meeting resumed.

 ** _Victim 7258:_** **I'm glad you liked the last two chapters, and I hope this was a quick enough update!** ** _orca3553:_** **I'm glad you like the story so far!** ** _Guess:_** **I thank you for your input. There will be a chapter with Astrid sometime in the near future, I think it's safe to say that interactions between the three of them should be interesting.** ** _ravenx1988:_** **Hopefully this chapter makes a good peace offering and is put up fast enough for you. I'm glad you are enjoying the story!** ** _Colonel Pepper:_** **Stoick didn't remember the engagement because shortly after the deal was made, he was plunged into grief at the loss of his wife. He was the Chief, and in that particular role, he had to look out for everyone on Berk during these dragon attacks. Since Hiccup was still only a baby, the engagement was placed on the back burner of his mind. Any human being can forget important things if it's not the only thing you think about. By the time Hiccup was old enough to meet Elsa, it had slipped his mind and his only reminder would have been that piece of paper- which was at the bottom of a pile of paperwork. Spitelout is on Berk, but Hiccup left Astrid in charge, since she has always acted as his second in command. I thought I put that in the last chapter, but maybe I forgot to add it and only thought it. Hopefully this chapter answered your third plot hole. But if it didn't: the people of Arendelle have a monarch with ice powers. They live in a land where Rock Trolls are real. Dragons may not be a part of their everyday life, but they have a force just as deadly as a dragon. They have no need to fear them. That doesn't mean that they don't. Kai was scared, as stated in this chapter- but he was acting as a proffessional, and to show fear in front of an envoy reflects poorly on the monarch as it is seen as a great sign of weakness. I'm glad you are liking my story, and thanks for the feedback.** ** _FrankThePirate:_** **Thanks for the input I'm glad you are liking it! I had an amazing brainstorm and wanted to put it up as soon as it was finished, so I did. haha** ** _Shadow 13:_** **Your doubt is valid. They probably could dissolve the agreement, but for the sake of their people, and to respect the wishes of Elsa's parents, they are trying to make it work. there is always a possibility** **that they could fall in love along the way.** ** _Randomgirl11:_** **I'm glad you love the story and I hope this chapter is as good as the others!** ** _Noctus Fury:_** **My intention was that because neither party knew of the previous arrangement, and because Valka is the only one who knew about it, it would be an exception. The wedding wasn't called off until confirmation was recieved, it was simply placed on hold. I didn't even know Eretstrid was a thing, so don't worry. Astrid will most likely remain single. Anna's reaction to Hiccup was just her being awkward, and kind of embarrassed. Hiccup's helmet didn't make this journey, it's safe on Berk. Living arrangements haven't been made yet, you'll have to wait to see what Elsa's reaction will be.** ** _StarFlight13:_** **I'm happy for your input!** ** _Dew That Is Blue:_** **I'll explain how the betrothal happened in a later chapter, maybe this next one. But definitely within the next two chapters. I hope this chapter answered your question about the dragons. I'm glad you are enjoying this story so far though!==**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hiccup stared up at the Northern Lights as he lay in the courtyard. Toothless was curled up beside him, snoring quietly. The other dragons were in a small pile, sleeping soundly as well. Hiccup's arms were folded behind his head as he thought about the day's events. This day had not been anything like he had been expecting.

Even though the Queen and her people didn't seem to mind the dragons, Elsa had requested the dragons remain in the courtyard so as not to panic the other servants in the castle. Hiccup had tried to sleep in the room given him, but without Toothless by his side, sleep evaded him.

The Queen of Arendelle. Elsa. Her beauty was unimaginable. She was a force to be reckoned with- even before knowing of her magic. Her speech was soft, yet knowing. It commanded attention. Her eyes were the brightest blue he had ever seen. And then there was her magic.

 _How does one achieve ice magic?_ Hiccup thought as he stared at the flowing green and purple lights in the sky. The more he thought about it, the less he understood it. So, he decided to focus on something else.

"I wonder how Astrid's doing."

Toothless grumbled quietly and nudged Hiccup in his sleep.

"Hiccup?"

"Mom?"

Hiccup sat up and saw Valka walking down the steps into the courtyard. He eyes were wide and full of sorrow, her body seemed hunched in anguish.

"Mom, I thought you were sleeping."

"I was. But I was worried about you." Valka sat beside her son. Her eyes bored into Hiccup's. He knew she wanted to say something, but she couldn't quite find the words. Hiccup waited for her to speak. "Hiccup… I need to apologize."

Hiccup sighed. "Mom-"

"No. I did a terrible thing- forcing you into this. I've been thinking a lot today, and I want you to make your own decision."

"Mom, she and I have decided to go through with this engagement."

Valka nodded. "I'm sorry. I should not have even gotten involved. I mean, I've only been in your life for a short amount of time. You are your own man. I should have let you make that decision… for yourself."

Hiccup sighed again.

"Mom, I'll admit. I was mad at you. I still am… but I know what you were trying to do. And I respect you for that. That's why I've gone through everything- and I'm giving this all I've got. It's the right thing to do, even if it isn't easy. It was an agreement made between our people. I intend to honor it. And so does she."

Valka smiled and nodded.

"So, she has ice magic."

"Uh-huh. Hey mom… you never told me how this arrangement came about."

"And I take it you want to know?" Valka chuckled. "I supoose that would be a wise idea."

Hiccup sat up and turned toward his mother expectantly. Valka sighed and closed her eyes.

"Well… as you know, Berk is a well kept secret. The best kept secret we have. It's not on any maps. It's often referred to as a legend. That's the way it has been for generations. Well, your father and I had decided to look outside the archipelago of Berk for new lands for us to inhabit. This was before you were born. Well, we ended up meeting the King and Queen of Arendelle mid-ocean. They thought we were an enemy ship."

"And that's how you met?"

Valka nodded. "We spoke many times. Wrote letters. Had meetings. We began to talk about a peace pact between our lands, where our people could go to escape the dragon's war. You see, your father wanted their help in fighting the dragons, but Agnarr and Iduna believed fighting was not the answer. They offered aide in medical supplies and foods, but refused to aid the war. Then you were born. You were only a few months old when we brought you here to Arendelle. Iduna was extremely doting to you. They had been trying for a child, but had not had any luck."

"But Elsa said that there aren't any records of Berk and Arendelle having any communication- other than our engagement pact. There aren't any maps in the royal library. Only a few paragraphs of a legend of dragons."

"That's the way we wanted it."

"Why? If you wanted to make a peace pact with them, wouldn't you want their people to know-"

"Your father thought it was best, because of our war with the dragons. We were the ones who did the travelling from Berk to Arendelle, as Vikings, we have faster ships for that purpose. Besides… dragon raids were not something we actually wanted to risk Agnarr and Iduna to."

"Ah." Hiccup sighed and leaned back, stretching his legs out in front of him. "So I've been here plenty of times before?"

"About three times before today. The last time you were here, we signed that agreement. We had received word that Iduna had had a child. A daughter. It was Agnarr's idea to unify our people through your engagement. Your father took that opportunity and ran. Said it would help Berk rise above the dragons. Give us our best chance at survival if the dragons couldn't be beaten."

Hiccup's heart squeezed. It was definitely something Stoick would have done. A Chief protects his own. It was a good way to protect his people. Toothless let out a deep breath in his sleep and flicked his tail, his tongue hanging outside of his mouth slightly.

"You know, we all expected you to marry and unite the kingdom and our village, while we were all still alive. It would have been easier for you if that had happened. But now, it's a job and a half. I'm here for you if you want me." Valka said quietly, her eyes drifting up to the sky. "Has she met Toothless yet?"

Hiccup shook his head. "Not yet. I'm hoping we will have some time tomorrow to get to know each other a little better."

"She is magnificent, isn't she?"

"She is… beautiful, and powerful."

"Her sister is a little odd though."

"Princess Anna?" Hiccup chuckled. "I suppose. I kinda like that though. She's kinda like me- I'm a hiccup. She's a hiccup, in a way."

"Oh, Hiccup…"

"I've embraced my Hiccup-ness. It is what's made me, well, me."

Valka smiled. She reached out and placed her hand on Hiccup's peg leg. She sighed.

"I am sorry."

"I know mom."

"And you, forgive me?"

"Of course. You were trying to do things right. I don't blame you."

"You're a lot like your father, you know that?"

"I thought I took after you?"

"Oh, you do. But your decisions, it's a lot like Stoick."

Hiccup smiled.

Somewhere deep inside the castle, a high pitched shriek cut through the silent night air. Toothless raised his head, his ears perked high and his eyes narrowed as he stared at the balcony. Hiccup and Valka stood up and began to run back to the doors entering into the castle. Toothless ran right behind them.

Upon entering the castle, Hiccup was greeted by servants running back and forth in a panic. Olaf was also running around screaming, though the brunette could not make out a word the creature said.

"What's going on?" Hiccup cried as he was pushed around. A bulky blonde man stopped and pulled him to the side. His brown eyes were huge and frightened. Behind him a giant brown animal bellowed and snorted.

"Something happened to the Queen!"

Hiccup's stomach dropped. Toothless growled loudly and bolted toward the double doors of the throne room. Hiccup took no time in following him. The doors were pulled open and Hiccup froze in the doorway.

Princess Anna was hunched over her sister's body. Her shoulders were shaking as she held Elsa's head and torso close to her chest. Hiccup approached the two figures slowly, taking in every detail of the room. Ice was spiked outwards in patches, centering around Elsa. The floor looked patchy with ice, and icy frost was creeping up the walls.

Toothless wrapped himself around the girls, his wings folding around them like a tent. Hiccup knelt down beside Anna. She didn't seem to even notice anyone else was with her. He placed a wary hand on the girl's shoulder and heard a panicked whisper escape the princess' lips.

"Don't worry Elsa, I got you."

The doctor had been inside the Queen's room for hours. Toothless sat by the door, his eyes never moving from them. Princess Anna sat beside Toothless on the floor, her eyes swollen and red, knees pulled up to her chest. She stared at the wall in front of her. She had been forcibly removed from Elsa's side when the medic arrived, and had not moved from that spot since the doors were closed.

Hiccup sat on the other end of the hall, the double doors of the Queen's room directly in his line of sight. The other Vikings had taken their dragons for a morning flight, per Hiccup's request. It would give them something else to think about.

"Princess Anna?"

Anna blinked and opened her mouth as if to reply. But no sound escaped her lips and she closed her mouth again. Her eyes never moved from their fixed pint on the wall. Hiccup sighed and tried again.

"Princess Anna. Can you tell me what happened?"

Anna shook her head.

"Nothing?"

"I was having trouble sleeping." She whispered, her throat hoarse. Hiccup then realized the shriek that he had heard had been Anna's.

"So, you got up…" Hiccup supplied patiently. Anna nodded.

"Usually I can go to her room and talk to her. But she wasn't there. So I went looking for her. You were with your mother. I thought about asking if you'd seen her. But then something told me to look in the throne room. So I went there."

Anna shuddered.

"She was there. Ice was everywhere. It looked like she was fighting something. And then she collapsed. Her ice started breaking apart. Started spreading. Spiking. I didn't see anyone else."

Hiccup nodded.

But before he could say anything more, the doctor opened the doors, a tired yet worried look on his face.

 **==Okie dokie lovelies! I meant to upload this on Friday but forgot. I'm sorry for the slight delay.** ** _ravenx1988:_** **Elsa will learn about Hiccup's past, as well as meet Toothless. Just not quite yet, obviously. I hope you like this chapter!** ** _Grim:_** **Hiccup is upset with Valka, for at least some of those reasons. But he understands that she was just wanting to do right- she's trying to make up for her lost time, in a mixed up way.** ** _Randomgirl11:_** **I am happy you still love it! Thanks!** ** _Dew That Is Blue:_** **Hope you enjoyed the chapter!** ** _Colonel Pepper:_** **I think that I covered Hiccup's initial reaction in this chapter- Elsa's will be at a later time.** ** _Noctus Fury:_** **Hiccup was a little too upset to remember to bring his helmet, but don't worry.** ** _7thManiac:_** **Don't worry- I don't bbq people, I appreciate your feedback! The original plan was that Hiccup and Elsa would marry as Prince and Princess, but because of the deaths of their leader parents... well... yeah. It does make it difficult. To be honest I'm struggling in trying to find a solution to the living arrangement problem. But I am glad that you like that I'm not ignoring something that important.**


	5. Chapter 5

**==Alright guys, I am SO SORRY you have been waiting months for this chapter. Life caught up with me about halfway through writing it and I am just now finding some time to finish and upload it. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Happy Reading!==**

Chapter 5

 _Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Elsa?"

Elsa sighed. She had been told by the doctor that no one was to enter. Under any circumstances. She was not told why, but he had emphasized that _no one_ was to come in. Including Anna. She had done this song and dance before. Her heart ached, listening to Anna on the other side of the door, asking if everything was okay now. In order to keep her safe, Elsa bit her tongue and remained silent.

"Please…" Elsa heard her sister whisper, her voice shaking. "Please don't shut me out again."

Elsa couldn't take it. She wanted Anna to be there, beside her, while she rested. It wasn't fair to her.

"Anna…"

"Elsa?"

Elsa sat up slowly, pushing the blankets off of herself. She gently placed her feet on the cold, smooth floor and sighed. Everything seemed to be burning.

"Come in here. Quietly."

The door clicked open and Anna tiptoed into the room. Her eyes were swollen and red, and there were dark patches under her eyes. Her hair was in two messy braids, as if she hadn't brushed her hair in a months.

It had been a few days since she had been put on bed rest. Almost a week had gone by, with only the doctor for company. He came every day, at least twice a day. Elsa's heart shattered when she saw her sister's features. The poor girl probably hadn't slept in days.

"Hey Anna." Elsa tried to sound happy but she was sure that Anna could see through that façade.

"Elsa, what happened to you? The doctor won't tell me anything! Are you alright?"

Elsa's heart shrank. The doctor hadn't told her much of anything either.

"I'm fine Anna. I don't know exactly what's going on but I'm fine."

Anna sighed and sat beside her sister. After a moment of silence she took Elsa's hand and leaned into her shoulder.

"Doctor said something about emotional stress…"

"Yeah. I need to relax and keep calm for a little bit." Elsa wasn't sure if that was the truth or not, but if that's what the doctor had said, then that's what she would go with. It was more than what he had told her at least. "How's the rest of the engagement party?"

Anna shrugged her shoulders and pointed to the door.

"He's been out there with that dragon. Not leaving. I'm not sure he's been sleeping either. He seems pretty worried. I don't know about the rest of them."

Elsa nodded. She hoped Kai was managing everything alright without her. She found it a bit odd that not even the servants were allowed to be with her unless they were bringing her meals or medication. It was almost exactly like when she had been growing up.

Isolated.

Elsa let out a quiet sigh and forced those thoughts from her brain.

"Elsa… I saw you. It was kind of like the coronation… but worse. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

Elsa put her hands to her temples. Why couldn't she remember anything? She remembered literally _nothing_. Going to sleep… waking up…

"Elsa?"

"I'm sorry Anna… I don't remember anything."

Anna smiled weakly and stood up.

"You need to rest. I'll come visit again…"

"Alright… Anna I hate to-"

"Elsa don't worry! I'll take of the castle for… until you are ready to get back. Just make sure it's soon okay? It's lonely out there by myself."

"Anna…"

"Elsa. I've got this." Anna said as she walked quickly to the door. "Don't worry."

She opened the door and stepped out before Elsa could say anything more.

"That's what I'm afraid of…" Elsa whispered to herself as she laid down once more, her eyes closing.

But sleep evaded her. Her whole body was on fire. Or at least, that's how it felt. She was worried about the engagement party. Had they all gone back to Berk except Hiccup? Why was he still here?

Suddenly three small knocks sounded in her brain.

"Anna…"

"Um… it's not Anna. It's me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

It was Hiccup. Elsa sighed and forced herself to stand. Her body ached, as though she had run a marathon. She wasn't supposed to get out of bed, but here she was. She slowly made her way to the door. Hiccup continued to talk.

"I sent everyone else home for now… I figured it would be best to let you rest. But I figured, since we're supposed to be going through this marriage, I should stay back and help you and your sister."

Elsa opened the door and stared straight into a pair of bright green eyes; two green orbs that were mirrored with concern. Behind him, the giant black dragon let out a soft coo and waddled behind his rider. Elsa tried to smile but all she felt was pain.

"I'll be fine. The doctor said it's just stress." She was sure there was more to it, but that was all she had to go on. She could tell Hiccup didn't believe her.

"I don't think you should have gotten up."

His voice was serious. Elsa cocked her head slowly to the side and analysed his features. His eyes were definitely concerned, and his body seemed poised for action- as if he were about to sprint. But there was something more to it than that… she just couldn't place it.

"I'm alright."

She was burning. She was sure of it. She glanced down as discreetly as possible, expecting to see flames engulfing her. But there was nothing there. Just her pale bare feet against the dark marble floor.

"You need to go back to bed, please Elsa. For Anna. I didn't expect you to get out of bed for me."

"I am fine. Right as rain."

And that's when her knees began to buckle.

Everything moved in slow motion.

She was falling to the floor. Her arms flew out to break her fall, and she couldn't control her magic. Long, grey icy strokes shot from her fingertips and whizzed in every direction, bouncing off the walls and forming a layer of ice on everything it touched. Hiccup ducked down and reached out to catch her fall, narrowly avoiding one of her blasts. Toothless launched himself and scooped a taloned claw out to catch the falling pair.

The end result was a crumpled pile of people and dragon.

Elsa's eyes were wide, horror seeping into every muscle of her body. Hiccup sat up slowly, groaning as he looked around. His hand was resting gently on her waist, and his warmth was combating the fire that was surrounding her body. Toothless let out a frustrated yelp and nudged Hiccup into a standing position.

"Well… there you go. Right as rain… Back to bed you go."

Elsa couldn't move. She lay there, frozen in her own fear.

 _Oh no. God no. What have I done? What have I done? Anna… what's happening?_

Strong arms picked up her weak frame and without thinking she wrapped her arms around the man's neck. She buried her face into his chest and let out a quiet sob. Deep in her subconscious she knew it was Hiccup who was holding her and carrying her back to bed. But she couldn't see him. Everything was blurry. She was dizzy.

Suddenly she was surrounded by softness. She was covered with a blanket. It was heavier than the blankets she had, but it was warm. It smelled like a smouldering campfire. She let out another broken sob.

"Now now… everything is okay. You are alright. I'm here. Just rest."

A warm hand gently caressed her forehead. Hiccup's voice was gentle as he spoke, and soon she found herself drifting into sleep. As she drifted she listened to that was going on around her.

"Anna go find the doctor. Please." Hiccup's voice was urgent, yet still soft. It almost sounded far away.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice cracked with fear for her sister.

"She's alright. But we need the doctor to look at her. She seems to be burning up."

There was silence for what felt like an eternity.

"Anna…" Elsa whimpered, trying desperately to open her eyes.

"She'll be back soon Elsa. Just rest."

Fingers running through her hair, as soft as a summer breeze.

"Hic…cup…"

Her consciousness was fading. The last thing she heard was Hiccup's gentle whisper: "I'll be here when you wake up."


	6. Chapter 6

**==Okay, so I'm getting back into the swing of things... I think. Again, I apologize for such a long wait for the previous chapter. Here's chapter 6!==**

Chapter 6

Hiccup sighed.

He had sent Toothless to be with Anna, who seemed to be extremely upset about whatever was happing with Elsa. The queen had not woken yet and for whatever reason the doctor had been summoned but he had not arrived yet.

Elsa shifted in her bed, a slightly pained squeak passing her lips.

"Elsa?" Hiccup whispered, sitting up and taking her hand lightly. It was so much cooler than his own body heat.

"An…na…"

"I'll go get her…"

"Hicc…up?"

Hiccup squeezed Elsa hand lightly.

"I'm right here. Like I promised. Are you alright?"

Elsa's eyes slowly fluttered open, her bright blue orbs full of concern. She began to sit up.

"Woah woah woah, Elsa. Stop. You need to stay laying down. Please. I'll go get Anna."

"No! She's not safe right now. She needs to stay away from me… oh god it's happening again…" Elsa sat up and placed a fisted hand to her forehead, closing her eyes and beginning to cry.

"What's happening again?" Hiccup took Elsa's hand and reached for her fisted one. Elsa gasped and pulled her body away from him, turning her back.

"Just keep Anna away from me. And stay away. I don't want to hurt you. Either of you. It's better if I'm alone."

Hiccup sighed and stood up. He looked to the open door, hoping to see his dragon or her sister, or a servant- someone to help him. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. He let out another sigh and looked back to the sobbing queen. She was so fragile. She needed someone to be there for her.

And that's what the king was supposed to be, right? Not just a co-ruler, but a companion and a confidant. Someone she could lean on when she needed to.

"Elsa."

Hiccup sat back down on the edge of the bed and reached out, pulling her face gently toward her. Tear stains ran down her face and she sniffled, but she allowed the touch.

"I don't know about what's happened to you, or between your sister and yourself, but I'm here for you. I'm not going to stay away unless you give me a very good reason."

"Was last night not a good enough reason?"

"That was four nights ago… and no. It wasn't."

Elsa opened her mouth to protest.

"Don't argue. You aren't feeling well. You aren't expected to have control of your magic when you're sick."

"But Hiccup-"

"I'm supposed to marry you, right? We are going through with it?"

"I don't-"

"Elsa. I'm staying. Whatever this is, I'm sure we can figure it out. Together."

Elsa's eyes widened. She closed her mouth and nodded slightly.

"Do you want me to get Anna?"

Elsa's body froze for a moment, almost unnoticeable. But Hiccup noticed.

Elsa didn't get the option to answer.

"No one should be in here with her. My god what happened here?"

The doctor had finally arrived. He looked around the still icy mess of the bedroom, appraising the situation.

"It's about time you showed up." Hiccup snapped, suddenly irritated by his presense.

"Now now… Your Majesty. What happened this time? Do you remember anything?"

Elsa nodded.

"I had gotten up to talk to Hiccup. I felt fine. And then I collapsed and couldn't control it. I almost hit him. I could have frozen his heart."

"I doubt that. You would have hit my head, not my heart." Hiccup scoffed.

"Doctor. Be honest. What's going on with me?"

The doctor sighed.

"Honestly Your Majesty, I haven't the slightest idea. I thought it might be stress related, but that doesn't seem to be completely true."

"So what are you saying?" Hiccup demanded, turning to face the doctor. He had a ferocious look on his face, enough so that the man took a step back from the bed.

"Sir, I think it would be best to talk to the queen alone."

"Odin's ghost…" Hiccup whispered. "No. I'm not going anywhere. She is to be my wife and I deserve to know what's going on as much as she does. Her sister too, to be frank."

The doctor sighed.

"Alright. I will not argue."

Hiccup glanced at Elsa, who was sitting up a little higher. Her eyes had a little bit more of a spark.

"Stress is not the only problem right now, though it does seem to be the leading factor, from what I can see."

"Stress from the engagement party?" Hiccup asked, turning to Elsa. She nodded.

"Not just that. Anna and Kristoff are going to be engaged at the end of the summer, and plans for that wedding are also under way. Though what's stressful about that is keeping that knowledge from my ever so nosey sister."

Hiccup sighed. Weddings were everywhere. And he could see where that would stress the young queen out. But there was more. He could sense it. Somewhere underneath all of those occurrences… this other something had to do with Elsa's powers.

"Your majesty, may I inquire as to how you have been sleeping lately?"

Hiccup turned back to the doctor, who was scribbling words on a piece of parchment.

"To be honest. Not well." Elsa said with a sigh.

Hiccup turned back to Elsa. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I've been having nightmares since I found out about the engagement. Mostly, it's about losing control of my powers… hurting Anna or the people of Arendelle… again. Some of it was errant imaginings of a man I'd never met before… but no matter what I dreamt about I always lost control."

"Elsa, what happened during that thirteen year period? When you locked yourself away from Anna?" Hiccup asked. He now realized what was happening to her, even if she herself didn't.

"I lost control and struck Anna in the head. In order to save her the rock trolls had to wipe her memory of my magic. To keep her safe, I was placed in a separate room, and the gates were closed. We lost almost three- quarters of our original staff, and my powers were supposed to remain hidden. Most often, to avoid running into my sister, I locked myself in my room."

"Oh… Elsa…"

"I'm alright."

"No, you aren't. What happened the last time you were this stressed out, or emotionally unbalanced?"

Elsa was silent for a minute, her face turning into a frown.

"I…" She took a deep breath and shuddered. "I froze all of Arendelle, and froze my sister's heart. I nearly killed her."

It was quiet except for the scribbling of the quill against the parchment as the doctor continued writing. Hiccup held his breath, hoping Elsa would piece together what was had happened to her. Slowly the realization dawned on her.

"My nightmares… they are warnings from my subconscious, aren't they?"

The doctor nodded.

"When someone has something traumatic happen to them in early childhood, it gets stored and ingrained in their subconscious. Sometimes it is just left there and it doesn't affect the person throughout their life, but on other occasions, it becomes a monster inside their mind, and it controls their every move." The doctor looked to Hiccup with a frown.

"You hurting your sister on accident when you were eight and how your parent's handled it was what created this monster. You have been living in constant fear of hurting another person, for fifteen years. Yes, you are no longer hiding your powers from Princess Anna, but you have just as much control then as you do now. Or at least, that's what your demon wants you to believe."

Hiccup frowned.

"So is there a way to help her through this?"

The doctor shook his head. He gave a sorrowful glance to Elsa and bowed slightly.

"Unfortunately there is nothing I can do for you, Your Majesty, except recommend plenty of rest and as little stress as possible."

"But I'm the queen. I need to be there for my people-"

"I'm sure Anna and I can manage for a while. We'll put the wedding preparations on hold. Both of them. I'm sure Kristoff won't be upset if the wedding isn't planned before he proposes… his name was Kristoff, right?"

Elsa nodded. "But Hiccup-"

Hiccup smiled. He reached out and took Elsa's hand, giving it a gentle and reassuring squeeze. He wasn't entirely sure how well he could run a kingdom like Arendelle, but since he was going to rule it someday with Elsa, it couldn't hurt to learn now. Besides, he wasn't doing it alone. Anna would help, and he was certain the servants, or at the very least Kai, would be able to assist too.

"Don't worry. I am a chief, you know. Now, I'm going to go talk to Anna. I want you to rest. I'll be back in to check on you."

The doctor had already left, the scrawled words on the parchment he had been writing on placed securely on the dressing table beside the bed. Hiccup picked it up and opened it slowly as Elsa settled back down to bed.

"What did the doctor write?"

"A bunch of medical sounding words… there's only a single sentence I can actually read." Hiccup squinted at the messy runic handwriting.

"Well?"

"When you are well enough, go see the rock trolls."

Elsa sighed.

"Rock trolls?" Hiccup placed the paper down again and grabbed the blanket to cover Elsa with.

"Ask Anna."

"Alright. Do you want anything before I leave? Some soup, something to drink?"

Elsa shook her head and let out a small sigh. Her eyes fluttered for a moment as her lids began to droop. Hiccup smiled at the innocent features of the girl. He'd only spent maybe a total of three days in her presence, but already he was enjoying seeing her face; being in her company. They hadn't done much, and most of what he'd dealt with was with her illness, but he could feel the ties binding them becoming stronger. She was becoming less of a stranger. His heart gave a small squeeze.

"Rest well… I'll be back soon."

And he leaned forward, giving her a small kiss on the forehead.


	7. Chapter 7

**==So before you get to reading this chapter... I have been super busy and haven't had the time to put it up- until today. I apologize. It is a sort of dream sequence, so it might be a bit confusing but I hope I wrote it well enough that it makes sense... if not, as always let me know. Not a very long chapter this time around and I also apologize for that. I'm going to try to write another chapter and put it up this week, because you guys really deserve that. As always... Happy Reading!==**

Chapter 7

Elsa was asleep. She knew that. She could sort of make out her sleeping figure in the haze below where she was now.

 _An out of body experience?_ She thought with a frown. Even for a dream, this was strange. She could see everything; hear everything, going on in the castle: from the worried whispers of the staff to Anna and Hiccup's conversation about Rock trolls.

Everything was in a haze. Faces were distorted and sounds were loud- as if a thousand people were shouting in her ear. Everything was jumbled, but perfectly clear.

"They have magical powers and unending pools of knowledge." Anna was saying, shoving chocolates in her mouth by the handful. Stress eating, no doubt.

 _I need to keep an eye on her. She's worrying too much._

The haze thickened. An unfamiliar voice crept into Elsa's brain, causing the haze to darken and shift so she could no longer see what was going on below her.

" ** _You know… you are the reason she eats all that chocolate._** "

 _Who are you?_ Elsa's mouth ever opened, but her thought seemed to scream into every corner of the haze.

" ** _Why… I'm you. The real you._** "

The voice was harsh like grinding gears, yet as soft as ice droplets gently clashing together. It was both musical and monsterous.

 _I am the real me._

The voice laughed.

" ** _You are nothing but a little carbon copy of me. You are the worthless freak everyone wishes to be rid of. You can't keep me locked up forever darling._** "

 _That's not true! Anna loves me, and Hiccup… well he doesn't want to see me suffer. I may not know much about him but I do know that. You are wrong._

" ** _Am I? I'll let you in on a little secret Elsa. I can hear the whisperings of everybody's hearts. I hear the things they don't say. I see the things they mean._** "

Elsa let out a gasp. Who was this being that was tormenting her?

" ** _Would you like to see what your dear little sister thinks of you?_** "

Even in sleep this was a door Elsa knew not to open. This monster she couldn't see… it would feed on her emotions. She knew this.

 _No. I know what my sister thinks. I know her heart._

" ** _Oh really now?_** " the voice laughed. " ** _Shall I show you your own heart then instead?_** "

And before Elsa could deny her, the haze shifted and Elsa felt the dizzying drop of her stomach as she lurched to the ground.

Only there was no ground.

Mist covered the entire area, obscuring everything from view. It was cold. Elsa shivered.

In front of her eyes, an image appeared. It was slightly blurred around the edges, but Elsa could make out the image of a young girl playing with someone. Piles of snow surrounded them. And then one of the girls was crying for her parents. Elsa gasped as she realized this view was from her own memory, and the someone the girl had been playing with had been _herself_.

The image changed to a lonely room, and a girl sitting on the bed, tears flowing down her face as she whispered apologies to someone who was not there. This image was clearly seen from an outsider's view.

 _What is this? I don't remember this…_

" ** _You don't remember doing this every day for about three years?_** "

Elsa shook her head.

" ** _Here is where I first came into being. Your words made me. Now you'll see me for who I am. For who you are. A monster-a freak. Incapable and cursed. You hate yourself because you have magic. You can't stand it that your sister is_** **normal** ** _while you are stuck as a perpetual freak. Even your fiancée thinks that- you decided to show him what you are and his eyes said the truth. You saw it. Your still just as afraid now as you were when you were eight years old. Your sister thinks you're a freak. Everyone's afraid of_** **you** ** _. You're afraid. So afraid of messing up that one day… one day it will happen._** "

 _That isn't true! Anna sees past that! She loves me. I'm not afraid anymore because I know she loves me!_

The voice chuckled.

" ** _Keep telling yourself that. But someday soon you won't be able to hide me. I almost got away once. Next time I will succeed. And then I'll show you just what they think of us._** "

 _I won't let you._

" ** _We'll see about that. Just keep in mind that I am, by far, more powerful than you will ever be. And one day, everyone you love will perish. At our hands._** "

With a sickening jerk the images changed to still photographs of Anna, limp and frozen on the ground. Hiccup wrapped in ice and frozen to a tree: a look of angry horror on his face. A dead dragon crumpled to the earth by his side. The servants, missing limbs and frozen solid. Rock trolls reduced to tiny pebbles and piles of rubble. Kristoff and Sven impaled by millions of icy daggers. Olaf nothing more than a melted puddle.

"No!"

Elsa screamed, her voice breaking through every barrier of her dream as she forced herself awake.

Cold sweat ran down her face and tears filled her eyes. Her hands were shaking.

"I won't let you win… I won't let you win…" she whispered, closing her eyes and willing every part of her body to be still. Echoes of an evil laughter rang through her mind as she fought to remain calm.

She let out a pained sob and wrapped her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth softly.

She heard the door slam open and heard the horrified gasp of Anna.

Before she knew what was happening, a pair of warm and gentle arms embraced her as the distinct sound of metal on marble could be heard entering the room.

"Elsa, are you alright? Tell me what happened. You're shaking like crazy and cold as ice. Elsa…"

Elsa continued to mumble her mantra, unaware of her sister's words. Her eyes remained closed and when she finally did open them, her eyes were met with Anna's worried face and Hiccup's terrified eyes.

And the echoes of a voice she knew belonged to the demon inside of her came to the surface.

 _I hear the things they don't say. I see the things they mean._


	8. Chapter 8

**==Before you guys get to reading this chapter I wanted to explain some things that were brought to my attention. First off:** ** _Envoy:_** **I know Hiccup is two years older than Elsa, and by most normal rights he should have been crawling. I'm depending on the knowledge that Hiccup is a hiccup... he was slower to develop and smaller than most average children- at least physically... I hope that makes a bit of sense. In my head, because he was a hiccup, he was just barely learning to crawl, while everyone else was learning to toddle around. Second: I know there's been a bit of extra, over the top drama in such a short amount of time (or chapters). This will be changing shortly... maybe :) It's just that if I were to write it all out into one chapter it would end up like, 30 pages long. So bear with it a little longer and we can get to some good stuff, that isn't quite as drama-filled. That's all and Happy Reading!==**

Chapter 8

Hiccup sighed as he paced the marbled floor of Elsa's bedroom. He had finally managed to get her to go back to sleep. She had been in a panic, her eyes wide and her lips trembling for what seemed like hours. Anna had been sent out of the room shortly after Elsa had been put to sleep, only to return with blankets and pillows.

She had now set up a makeshift bed in the corner and was watching Hiccup closely, glancing every so often at her sister's still form. Toothless was curled beside her, trying to stay out of the way. It was quiet except for the tiny clicking sound of Hiccup's prosthetic leg as he walked, and the occasional sigh from Anna.

Finally Hiccup gave an exasperated sigh and sat down beside Anna in the pile of pillows.

"Get tired of pacing, now that you've made a path in the ground?" she asked lightly, curling a pillow to her chest. She now focused solely on Elsa, her big blue eyes barely blinking.

"The leg's hurting me. Needed a break." Hiccup whispered.

"What do you think she meant?"

Hiccup knew the question stemmed from Elsa's creepy and emotional mantra that she had uttered for ten minutes straight after he and Anna had run into the room. It was almost as if she had been talking to someone unseen.

Hiccup could guess what it meant, though he wasn't completely sure. Besides, he didn't want to worry Anna any more than necessary. Elsa had a lot on her plate- she had bitten off way more than she could chew and was suffering because of it. She needed her rest.

"Anna I need your help."

"With what?"

"Well… the doctor said she needs lots of rest and minimal stress. I offered to step in with the royal duties… but ruling a kingdom is different than being chief. So I have no idea where to begin."

"Oh." Anna glanced at Hiccup and smiled softly.

"Sure I can help, and we can work on your wedding plans too. You know… we haven't really gotten to talk since you showed up and well I think it's time I got to know you a little more, since you are going to marry my sister, even though she was the one who told me "you can't marry a man you just met"- that's the whole reason she froze Arendelle. I pushed her because she wouldn't let me marry this prince… I mean he turned out to be a horrible person who only wanted the crown and so she was technically right but still…"

"Slow down, please. That's a lot of information." Hiccup chuckled softly. He had figured Anna was a talker. He wasn't expecting this much talking though. Was she even taking breaths? Hiccup couldn't make out sentences- just one long thought escaping the princess' mouth.

"Sorry…"

"No it's alright. I just couldn't keep up."

"You are a lot different than I imagined you to be." Anna sighed and picked at a fluff on the pillow beside her, looking back to Elsa. "That's good. Especially for her."

"Well I'm glad you approve… I guess."

"Well I'd have problems if you Vikings were war-wagers and humongous meatheads. I wouldn't know what to do then… I mean my family is pretty crazy but still…"

"Well," Hiccup chuckled, "only some of us are humungous meatheads."

"Who ride dragons."

It wasn't a question, but a statement. Hiccup nodded.

"You know, I think she's afraid." Anna whispered as Elsa turned over in her sleep, a quiet moan floating into the air. Hiccup was ready to jump to her aide, but the queen didn't move again and went back to peaceful slumber. Hiccup relaxed.

"Afraid of what?"

"Her powers. She's always been afraid of them, ever since I can remember. I don't know why. She said something about hurting me one time but… I don't remember."

"Oh…" _So her memory was wiped clean._ Hiccup frowned. This whole thing was becoming muddied and distorted. There were a lot of layers he needed to go through to make sense of everything, and he had barely scraped the top layers. He needed to know the whole story in order to help Elsa. He knew that.

 _I guess I'll have to make a visit to the rock trolls soon._

Anna sighed. "I love my sister. She's always there when I need her. Even when she wasn't. I don't know if that makes sense…"

"It does." Hiccup said quickly. Astrid was kind of like that… in a violent, shove-you-out-of-the-way kind of similarity… but she was what pushed him to embrace his true self, so he kind of understood where Anna was coming from.

Anna giggled a little. "You know, I know she says that I'm most important to her, but honestly, she's most important to me. I'd do anything to make sure she knows that she doesn't need to be afraid."

Hiccup didn't know what to say. Seeing this much loyalty to family was something he hadn't known much about. There was something dynamically strange and beautiful about the girls' bond. He had known almost from the get-go that the sisters shared a unique bond. Elsa had also said so on many occasions, and he could see that Elsa's decisions were usually solely based with Anna's happiness in mind… but this was a whole different, deeper level.

"So when did you find out about Elsa's magic? Before she lost control that first night? Or was that when… you know…"

Hiccup blinked.

"She had shown me earlier in the day. I think originally she had wanted it to stay secret but then changed her mind. But I can't be sure."

Anna nodded.

"I think that's what caused the break. Her hiding it. Again. She showed you willingly, but in comparison, I pissed her off to the point she lost control. But she had been hiding it. I think that could be a link to why she's afraid now."

"You're deadest on your thoughts that she's afraid of her powers?"

Anna nodded. "It's just a feeling. I have a brain and can figure things out too you know. I'm smarter than she, and everyone else in Arendelle, gives me credit for."

Hiccup nodded back. Anna was a lot smarter than most people gave her credit for. Maybe with her help he could uncover every aspect of Elsa's fears. Maybe he could help her overcome them.

"Anna… do you know where the rock trolls are? I want to ask them a few questions… about Elsa."

Anna nodded. "They are kinda… Kristoff's family. I can take you to them. Tomorrow…" She yawned and rolled onto her back facing her sister. Her eyes drooped heavily as she struggled to keep them open. Toothless grumbled lowly and rested his head beside her, making a sort of wall to support her. Hiccup smiled and leaned back on Toothless' rump, closing his eyes. Beside him, Anna was snoring softly.

"Rest well princess. I can keep watch of the two of you until morning."

And with that, Hiccup fell asleep.

He didn't hear Elsa wake up. He didn't hear her slip out of bed. He didn't hear her scribble a note on the parchment beside her bed, or open the door to her bedroom. He didn't hear Toothless grunt in warning as he watched the queen leave the room. Only when Toothless smacked him with his tail did Hiccup wake up.

And Elsa was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Elsa sighed as she walked through the night.

It was chilly for a summer, but she didn't mind the cold. She had just hoped to get far enough away from Arendelle before Hiccup woke up. She needed some alone time to think.

Her ice palace.

She would stop on the way there to see the rock trolls, and see what she needed to do to keep control of her powers. She loved Anna, but she felt that wasn't enough to save her a second time. She needed another answer.

 ** _Are you going to let me out now?_**

Elsa sighed again.

This eerie voice had been asking the same question for the last hour of her walk. She refused to say anything more than that, and Elsa struggled to keep her voice and her mind silent. She wanted to ignore this demon until she could figure out how to be rid of her.

"Conceal… conceal don't feel…" Elsa found herself muttering as she walked. She stopped and shook her head. "No. I don't need to hide anymore. I'm alright. I just need to control it."

 ** _Ha. Like you can do that. Can you let me out now?_**

Elsa grumbled in frustration and trudged along the base of the mountainside. She entered the wall of the mountain in a shallow spot and continued walking. It was starting to get warmer, and Elsa began to sweat a little. Not from the heat, but from memories.

The last time she had seen the rock trolls, she had been eight years old. She had almost killed her sister. And they had told her that her magic was going to destroy her- if used improperly.

"Fear will be your enemy…" Elsa whispered as she continued to walk past hot steam geysers and round, mossy rocks.

 ** _I don't like this place… let's leave._**

Elsa shook her head.

 _If you would be quiet for a few minutes it would go by faster. Shut up._

The voice was silent, much to Elsa's surprise and relief. She had some extra energy to look around. Ahead of her was a large, circular clearing with an awkward archway made of rocks and dirt. Elsa cocked her head in confusion. That hadn't been there before.

More mossy rocks were strewn about around the archway.

"Hello? It's Elsa… Queen…Queen of Arendelle."

It was quiet for a minute and then suddenly all of the mossy rocks moved at once, conjoining near the archway, all around Elsa's feet.

They all looked to her, their big eyes blinking in unison. Elsa let a small shiver go down her spine as she let the creepiness settle down. She had no idea how Anna could deal with this so easily. It had been almost the same when she was a kid.

The eldest looking rock began to waddle forward.

"Queen Elsa."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement in the form of a greeting. Elsa nodded her head.

"What is the issue, my queen?"

"Well…" Elsa took a breath to steady her mind. "I'm having some problems. I was hoping you could help me."

"With your magic?"

Elsa nodded. "I've been having nightmares of me losing control of my powers, and hurting Anna again."

Grandpabbie nodded. "Go on."

"I have a wedding to plan for myself, and a wedding for Anna. These nightmares are interfering with all of it. I can't run my kingdom properly. I don't think that love with help me this time if I lose control again. Is there a different solution?"

All of the rock trolls let out a collective gasp and then began to murmur amongst themselves in hushed whispers. Elsa frowned in annoyance but did nothing. Once the trolls had settled down again, Grandpabbie spoke.

"Fear still resides in your heart. Often times it consumes and destroys everything in its path. I have seen many brave men succumb to their fears and turn into monsters. Fear makes men and women do terrible things. Only with it gone will you have complete control of your magic."

"So how do I not be afraid?"

"Destroy the fear."

Elsa sighed and put her hand to her temple. "And… how exactly do I do that?"

"That, unfortunately I cannot tell you. It can only be decided by you. Only you can banish the fear from your heart. It is a process, and most often hard. But I know you will overcome your fear, if you do it properly."

"Thanks for your advice." Elsa said. "It really helps."

She didn't feel like it had helped at all. In fact, she felt more confused than ever. How was she supposed to banish her fear? What exactly _was_ her fear? Was it just losing control? Or was it losing everyone she cared about? Elsa didn't know. She had no more answers than when she started; just more questions. The ice palace was going to be full of meditation.

As she turned to leave, Grandpabbie grabbed the train hem on Elsa's dress, making her stop.

"Elsa. Fighting fear is a dangerous and difficult task. You do not have to do it alone. In fact, I insist you seek help from those closest to you. Support can be your strength, and it can help in many ways. Please remember this."

Elsa's mind shifted to Anna for a moment. She nodded deftly and smiled softly.

"Thank you Grandpabbie."

"So you know my name? No doubt from your sister. She will be a good aide for you, if you let her. Good luck, my queen. Please come back when you feel the fear has been banished. Perhaps to deliver wedding invitations for yourself and your sister?"

Elsa smiled wider now.

"I will."

And then she was off to her little place of isolation, where she could think things through.

But the voice had other plans.

 ** _You know… the answer is here inside of you. Just let me out and I can show you. You didn't need to go to that stupid old rock._**

"But I wanted to." Elsa whispered. She knew she sounded crazy, carrying on a conversation with herself, but she wasn't worried about anyone seeing her.

The sun was beginning to come up and Elsa turned to see Arendelle start to stir. She knew she needed to get to the ice palace before Hiccup decided to go out looking for her. No doubt he had already woken and was searching the castle frantically for her. She felt bad for stealing away in the night, but she felt she needed to do this alone.

 ** _So you won't listen to the old rock? It's just you and me?_**

 _No. I plan to follow Grandpabbie's advice. I just need a plan._ Elsa said firmly in her mind. _Besides, he had given advice to me and my parents before. He saved Anna when I couldn't._

 ** _Right because his advice for you worked so well last time._**

Elsa ignored the painful truth the voice spoke as she continued up the mountain. Grandpabbie's advice is what had caused her parents to isolate her. Their fear is what cultivated her own.

And now she had to fix the problem her parents helped make.


End file.
